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3.39 AVERAGE
3.39 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
A little too slow paced for me for my current book tastes. I could definitely see myself coming back to this book but putting a long pause on it for now.
Honestly just hard to read. The writing style was so different than what I'm used to it was jarring and made this a struggle to get through. Though there are a lot of things to love about this book, I didn't actually enjoy reading it. I wasn't invested in the characters, it was a slog to get through, it was confusing and it took me a long time to finish because I wasn't motivated to read it.
It took me about 60% of the book to really feel into it. But I did get there!Had I not been reading for book club I would’ve given up but in the end I’m glad I saw it through.
The writing style is very different than what I’m used to. Characters killed, years pass, dramatic moments in general tend to be almost glossed over, getting maybe a sentence mid paragraph with no tonal build up. In a way it’s beautifully lyrically written, but in a different way it’s confusing and dull at times.
I loved the world and the rich detail, the cultures and the histories, our cast of characters, but the package it all came in was tough.
The writing style is very different than what I’m used to. Characters killed, years pass, dramatic moments in general tend to be almost glossed over, getting maybe a sentence mid paragraph with no tonal build up. In a way it’s beautifully lyrically written, but in a different way it’s confusing and dull at times.
I loved the world and the rich detail, the cultures and the histories, our cast of characters, but the package it all came in was tough.
This was Ms. Hairston's first traditionally published novel, and to some degree, it shows. She aims high with all the balls of lore and characters and plots that she tries to keep in the air, and to some degree, she drops a few, because I will be very honest, I was not sure what was going on at several points in this novel. However, I love the way she focuses on the epic fantasy via nontraditional magics (song, plant life). This one didn't land home for me, but good news - other stuff she's written clicked far more for me. If you're looking for YA fantasy with lots of neat ideas and an African inspired lore, you could do far worse than to pick this up from the library.
An important fantasy that resonates as a climate parable. Andrea Hairston has a very fascinating writing style that balances philosophy and wonder- a tad beyond me at some points, but overall a stunning read.
3.5 stars. The world building is fantastic. The descriptions are luscious and immersive. The story was hard to follow though and it was easy to get confused on who was who and what was happening. I listened and perhaps reading would've made it easier to keep track. Because of that, I had a harder time being invested in the characters.
My head wishes I could rate this higher (I'd really probably give 3.5 stars), but my heart just isn't it. The prose is beautiful and the world-building is spectacular. The characters are flawed, complex, and ever-evolving. It's an epic tale about a dying world. But as an epic, it is long. Oh-so-very long. And I really struggled to get and stay in this book. But if you like a sloooooooow-burn fantasy with themes of climate change and colonialism, by all means, go for it.
Master of Poisons is a gorgeously-written fantasy novel. Hairston gorgeously builds a world that teeters on the brink of its own end. And yet, there is an undeniable call to hope by the people within— some hope in magic, in religion, in leaders, in themselves.
Like some other reviews mentioned, this book does have a slower pace. It has a more poetic, or storytelling, feel to it. I actually did something I do very rarely, and restarted reading after I’d read about 25% of it. (I was personally distracted from most things when I began this book, and I could tell I would better enjoy Master of Poisons, if I allowed it this extra attention.) I’m glad I did so.) I understand it can be a little weird to get into a different storytelling style in a book, but I highly encourage you to commit to giving this a proper try.
I received an e-ARC of this title via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.
Like some other reviews mentioned, this book does have a slower pace. It has a more poetic, or storytelling, feel to it. I actually did something I do very rarely, and restarted reading after I’d read about 25% of it. (I was personally distracted from most things when I began this book, and I could tell I would better enjoy Master of Poisons, if I allowed it this extra attention.) I’m glad I did so.) I understand it can be a little weird to get into a different storytelling style in a book, but I highly encourage you to commit to giving this a proper try.
I received an e-ARC of this title via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.